Now that Thanksgiving has come to past, next up is Christmas! Time to ration all nickels dimes and pennies everyone, gift giving isn’t easy nowadays! Onto the more appealing portion of this column, the juicy, sweet yet informative news and reviews that keep you glued to the ins and outs of what’s what in hip hop!

Foxy Brown got the boot after an appearance on New York’s Power 105.1 where morning show hosts Eygpt and Ashy questioned her departure from Jay-Z’s Def Jam record label. Initially the story was publicized inside the New York Post’s Page Six column hence why Egypt continued to probe her for an explanation for her label release. She continued to insist that she was still signed to Def Jam until her anger overcame her, not surprising, stating that “What people don’t understand is that I initiated leaving Def Jam. They didn’t drop me, they could never drop me. I am a multi-platinum artist!” Egypt

Suge Knight has offered an explanation for how his, once associate and friend, Snoop Dogg, keeps avoiding jail despite his various arrests for drugs and gun possession. He called Snoop a “rat” and a “police informer.” This comment comes after his Tuesday [Nov. 28] arrest after an appearance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Snoop should stay behind closed doors, especially after he bad-mouthed Suge in a cover story in the new Rolling Stone. In the article, Snoop claims that Suge threatened his life during his five-year serve in jail. When asked if he was afraid of revenge, Snoop replied, “nah…..Never was afraid of him. I was afraid that I was gonna have to kill him. That’s what I was afraid of.” I wouldn’t mess with that man if I were you Snoop! After all it is his name that floods the headlines around Tupac Shakur’s 1996 murder.

You may remember her from the film Hustle & Flow and Scream 2. News has it that singer / actress Elise Neal - and yes that is singer / actress that you just read- has an R&B group called Assorted Flavors who recently did a collaboration with rap mogul 50 Cent. Although the group is not officially signed to any major labels there are a few prospects. In an interview with AHH, Neal describes her passion for music and her ambition to release authentic R&B music. “My group Assorted Flavors promises to bring not just eye candy, but incredible performances with a little street flair mixed in. I think people are really, really going to appreciate it,” said Neal. Looking forward to it sista!

Comedian Tracy Morgan was arrested on November 28th on a DWI charge. He was spotted swerving in and out of lanes on the Henry Hudson Parkway. Upon his arrest his license was confiscated and after a failed Breathalyzer test he was release without bail. He rejected a plea deal that would require him to serve five days of community service, pay a $1,000 fine and enroll into a drunk driving program. Morgan was arrested for related charges in February and was sentenced to 36 months’ probation. If convicted in for these charges he could face up to six months in jail. Even the funny guy gets busted huh?

Rapper / Actor / CEO 50 Cent talks about his new album titled, “Before I Self-Destruct.” “I show more vulnerability on this record than on others,” said 50. “I’m in a space where I can experiment a little bit, I mean I felt a lot of pressure between each of one of my projects….They don’t care whether the state of the music business is changing; they’ll say I’ve failed if I don’t do what I did on the first two projects.” WHAT? Does that sound like doubt? Not from 50 and especially not after the nerve he has to talk smack about other artists in the industry. I guess the wind does rattle his legs a bit too! The album is expected to be release sometime in the early spring of 2007. In the meantime he is furthering his acting career in an appearance in the film “Home of the Brave,” alongside Samuel L. Jackson and Jessica Biel. The film is due in theaters next month.

Last but certainly not the least- SHOW & TELL !! Brittany, Brittany oh Brittany, honey please do us all a favor and invest in a pair of underwear. Vicky’s has 5 for $25. They come in bikini, low-rise bikini, briefs and thongs. They have cotton, spandex and seamless. Pick at least one honey because no one wants to ever in life see this nastiness again!